Improvement in revolving fire-arms



F; P. SLOGUM.

Revolver.

Patented Jan. 2T; 1863.

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' @ma ai N PEIERS, PHQTmLITMcGRAPNER, wAsmNGTuN. D C.

UNITED STATES FRANK P. SLOOUM, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOB TO SAMUELW.

PATENT OFFICE.

SLOOUM, OF SAMEA PLAGE.V

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVINGA FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,551, dated January27, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that `I, FRANK P. SLOCUM, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Revolving Fire- Arms; and I hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure lis a central longitudinal verticalsection of a pistol constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 isafront view ofthe cylinder. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same.Fig. 4 is a front view of the ring which encircles the cylinder to keepthe chambers closed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalgures.

This invention has for its object to provide for the loading ofrevolving fire-arms with tlanged metallic cartridges without having thechambers extend right through the cylinder to the rear thereof; and tothis end it consists, first, in constructing the several chambers withlongitudinal divisions and with a portion of each movable, like a lid,to admit the cartridges sidewise; secondly, in the use, in combinationwith the soconstructed cylinder, of a ring encircling the saidcylinderand capable of sliding on and o' the movable orlid-like portions of theseveral chambers for the purposes of sccuring them in a closed positionwhen loaded, and of permitting them to be opened for loading and for theremoval of the discharged cartrid gecases; thirdly, in the constructionofthe cylinder-frame with one or more internal shoulders to serve asstops to the aforesaid ring.

To enableothers skilled in the manufacture and use of tire-arms to makeand use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

The cylinder is composed of two principal pieces, A and B, and thelidsaa of the several chambers b b. The chambers are bored'right through theportion A, whichV is of sufficient length, and the piece B, consistingof a stout disk, is secured close to the rear of A, to which it forms abreech, closing the chambers at the rear. The front portion of eachchamber has its whole circumference formed of the piece A 5 but thegreater portion of its length is formed half in the piece A and halfcomposed of its lid b, which is of semi-cylindrical form and fitted intothe piece A and close up to the piece B, the chamber being thus dividedlongitudi- Eally in a plane passing through the axis ofits ore. by ahinge-joint, c, to the portion A of the cy linder to permit them toopen, as shown in red outline in Fig. 3, for the insertion ofthecartridges sidewise into the chambers.

O is the ring which encircles the cylinder for the purpose of securingthe several lids b b i`n a closed condition, having its interior of aform shown in Fig. 4, to iit snugly round the chambered portion ofthecylinder, 'and to the exterior of the lids b b, and being of a widthcorresponding with, or not greater than, the length ofthe portion ofthecylinder in front of the lids, the exterior of which 'is made to conformto that of the exterior of the lids, so that the ring may slide freelyupon it, as well as upon the lids,in adirection lengthwise of thecylinder. By sliding this ring from the lids onto the portion of thecylinder in front of them the lids, being made of proper form to becaught by the thumb or tnger, are allowed to be opened in the mannerindicated by red outline to permit the insertion of cartridges into thechambers or the withdrawal of the discharged cartridge-cases therefrom.When new cartridges have been inserted into the chambers the lids areclosed and the ring slid back over them to secure theln.

The cylinder is represented as having the axis-pin F secured tirmlyinit, being constructed with pivots or journals d e at is front and rearends to'lit into suitable bearings provided for their reception in thefront and rear ofthe frame D E. This mode of applying the axispinenables it to serve the purpose of securing the two pieces A and B ofthe cylinder firmly together, for which purpose it is made with a malescrew-thread upon its front part'to screw into a female screw-threadprovided in the piece A, and with a square head, j', close toits rearjournal for the reception of a wrench to screw it up tightly against therear of the piece B, through which it is inserted into A. The two piecesA and B may, however, be secured The lids b b are each hinged on onesidetogether by two or more screws independent ot' the axis-pin. `lt isonly7 for convenience ot' construction that the cylinder is composed ofseparate pieces, A and B, as the breech part might be made of the samepiece with the chambered portion. The hammer strikes the cartridges inthe several chambers through openings t' in the breech ot' the cylinder.

the interior of the lower portion ashoulder, 7c,

to setve as stopsto the ring C when the latter has arrived at about themiddle ot' the length of the lids of the chambers in sliding back overthem, that being the best position forsecuring the said lidsl- One ofthese stops may be sut'- icient.

The construction of the cylinder with lids opening to-admit sidewisemetallic cartridges carrying their own priming, and with a closedbreech, allows the whole ot' that portion ofthe rear end of the cylinderoutside of the revolving ratchet l to be made to presenta Hush-face andto fit closelyagainst the recoil-shield on,

Instead ot arranging the lids or movable` portions ofthe chambers towork on hingejoints, they may be arranged Vto open with a slidingmovement parallel with the axis ofthe cylinder.

The dog by which the rotation of the cylinder is stopped, and by whichthe cylinder is locked with the several chambers in line with the boreof the barrel, may be applied to act in notches provided in the ring U,and be so made to secure oraid in securing the said ring in position tosecure the lids a, a.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent,-is-

l. The cylinder constructed with lids b b to its several chambers,opening in such manner as to permit the cartridges to be introduced andthe discharged cartridge-cases to be taken out sidewise, and with aclosed or solid breech, substantially asherein specified.

2. The ring C, applied in combination with the cylinder and the lids a aof the chambers, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. The combination, with the ring C, of one or more stops, j k, intheframe, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

l FRANK P. SLOGUMJ` Witnesses: 4

DANL. ROBERTSON, M. S. PAR'LRIDGE.

